Retoris Rumble
As per Shockwave's orders, Blast Off (Captain Blast Off to YOU, buddy) leads a small, fast contingent of fliers and fighters (and possibly some that are not so fast to provide extra backup) towards the Autobot stronghold of Retoris. The Cons seek to disrupt the city's economic strength, and it's reputation as a safe place to visit for offworld aliens. "Remember- we move in quickly, before they even know what hit them- we wreak maximum destruction, then we get out again before major forces arrive. Just enough to unsettle the Autofools and make visitors think twice about coming here and spending shanix. Disrupt anything that looks like a trade route, merchant's stalls, anything that says "commerce, prosperity... or "safety"". The shuttle drops in elevation, side laser cannons powering up. "We are arriving at our destination soon. We do this not only to further Shockwave's plans- but also to get revenge for the Autofool's brash attack on Kaon! We shall make them REGRET that intrusion!" In a ridiculously complicated series of twists, turns, and noises, Dustoff transforms into a STORM SRT-V. Triggerhappy transforms into a blue and white Cybertronian aircraft. While the fast aerial unit makes it's way towards Retoris, a secondary ground unit follows quickly behind it. Mostly made up of ground gumbies (Yea, they apparently exist and are more expendable than Redshirts) They surge forward towards the city. Leading them is a massive Tiger mech that hasn't been seen in ages, Avalanche. The Dinobot sized mech just roars to the soldiers, "We are to be taking the city, comrades! Do not give the Autobots any quarter, for they will be not giving you any!" The Gumbies that surround Avalanche give him a wide berth, as they know when he gets into motion, everyone becomes a target to his wrath. Storm SRT-V is one of those 'not so fast' ones, but that's because he's not flying. Nope. Let the fast guys with armor get there first...he'll swoop in to patch them all up. That doesn't mean, of course, that he's not keeping up, far from. He's just taking the good old dusty road that is far less traveled by those with wings... Because the Autobots always look for the seekers. They never suspect the ground-pounders. Right? ... maybe. Dustoff's quite content to chill in the off-road scene, though, as he keeps tabs on the Decepticon advance. <> There's a pause as he picks his way over an obstacle. <> Triggerhappy flies toward Retoris after Blast Off, muttering a little at just how much this Combaticon seems to like to blather on. "Yeah, yeah, we don't have to be told twice how to beat up Autoscum. You know for a 'distant' type you sure talk a lot, -Captain.-" <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "It is good to be seeing combat again! Haha!" <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Yeah, as nice as that is, make sure you yell if you're dying." <'Decepticon'> Triggerhappy says, "Yeah! Can't wait for bust up some Autobot skidplate!" <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Also, if you are dying, or dead, make sure you position yourself somewhere easily retrievable. I'll get you back to base." <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "Bah, We will not be dying!" <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "We will be KILLING!" <'Decepticon'> Triggerhappy laughs wryly. "Yeah, sure Dustoff, we'll be sure to 'position ourselves' as best we can, if we're dying and all." MiG-25PD Foxbat-E thunders along, a short distance from Blast Off's starboard aft quarter, heavy jet engines tearing a pair of super-heated contrails across the night sky. The Decepticon triplechanger says little in response to the Combaticon (and doesn't much pay attention to him in the first place), instead utilizing his time to perform a highly sophisticated long-range RADAR sweep of Autobot territory just ahead of the aerial battle group. <'Decepticon'> Galvatron says, "If they are dead, then their rusting corpses can remain where they fall after failing me!" <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "Yes, my lord. GLORY to Galvatron." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Of course, Sir." If the Cons think they'll be getting in just like that, then they obvious haven't seen.. THE WALL. The only way in and out of the prosperous city, and armed to the teeth. An equally armed opponent stands at the top of said wall after the warning of Decepticons inbound has gone out. "They've got balls for showing up so close to Iacon, I'll give 'em that." The woman comments with a snort before closing up her suit's cockpit and raising rifle to watch them through the ironsights. <> One flier in particular draws her attention the most, a hard grimace tugging on her lips. "Blowpipe.." She hisses under her breathe and waits before them to get just a bit closer until... <> With the command out she lets loose on the sky, aiming a hailstorm of laserfire at Triggerhappy. Broadside takes a lift up to the top of The Wall and rushes to man one of the neutron cannons. <> The large turret swivels with him as he sets the scope on... hmm... "Well if it isn't Avalanche..." The cannons emit a deep churning sound as they power up. "COME GET SOME FRAGGERS! NOTHIN' BREAKS THE WALL!" <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Let the carnage begin... fantastic. Anyone bleeding yet?" Defense Base isn't a regular sight here over in Retoris. In fact, he doesn't come here often at all. It's probably because Galen doesn't want to the Nebulans in the settlement recognizing him and muttering about his past history, it's nothing much to be proud of. He's actually here right now to restock his supplies after his recent 'humanitarian' efforts over at the Sonic Canyons. Does humanitarian actually work as a term here when we're dealing with Cybertronians? Ah questions... Anyways, there's still Retoris workers going in and out of the defense base's cargo hold compartment with containers of supplies and raw materials to be manufactured into much needed finished products. Unfortunately the workers haven't done their jobs yet and thus Fortress Maximus is still confined in his base mode for the time being, however that doesn't mean he's completely helpless. The radar dish on top of the defense base begins to spin as it begins probing the vicinity for hostile contacts and hopefully relay the information to the rest of the Autobots present. From high in the sky, the Cybertronian Chopper that is often considered to be SPRINGER is soaring in. Which direction he's coming from, that part doesn't particularly matter. Not really. After all, he's coming in pretty fast and already he's attempting to get a lock on an old foe of his. One that would actually get on his nerves if he had any frags left to give. Turning his head slowly, a deep metallic grumble that works as a growl comes from Avalanche. "That was not smart, Autobot." He comments, before swinging his paw forward. "Kill them all!" Transforming, Avalanche looks to where Broadside is manning the turret. "You!" He points to one of the Gumbies. Cautiously, the Gumby walks up to Avalanche. "S...sir?" He asks, before he is picked up by the large Decepticon. "Just remember, you're a soldier for Galvatron." Without hesitation, Avalanche turns the gumby into a living projectile and tosses his form right at the defensive placement! Using it as a diversion so he can take to the air, and get onto the top of the very large wall. Leaping up, Avalanche transforms into his titanic robot mode. Space Shuttle radios back to Dustoff. <> The Combaticon then scoffs at Triggerhappy. "....I... well, I *have* to speak more often than I'd like- I- I'm trying to make myself understood! Given that the majority of mechs I have to deal with are *simpletons*... that can be rather difficult sometimes!" he sniffs. "So, I tend to repeat myself, just to be sure. Yes." As they approach the wall, missiles begin to launch at them. The shuttle evades several shots, but then a strong signal sent out by Fortress Maximus hits and seems to play havok with his navigation systems. "Ergh." The shuttle slows down as his systems try to equilabrate again, and he circles around warily. However, his weapon systems still work, so he sends a shot back towards the huge mech! Dusty's all for a good fight, but this one's getting big. And fast. He transforms and jogs to the nearest bit of cover he can find, logistical support systems kicking on to do what they do best. <> He checks his system readouts. <> He leans around the corner and brings his rifle up to take a peek through the scope. "Fan-slaggin'-tastic... we'll be lucky to get a chance at enerbeer at all with this many eyes on station..." He grumbles faintly. <> And, for good measure, he squeezes off a quick shot at the nearest inconvenience he can spy. Also, the one the size of a barn. In a ridiculously complicated series of twists, turns, and noises, Dustoff's SRT-V form is shed to reveal a ruggedly handsome mech. Naturally, Triggerhappy is one of the first to go charging in. As the city-state draws near, he eagerly plunges ahead of Blast Off, seemingly without a care to his own well-being. Which probably the case, anyway. And thus, he gets blasted in the undercarriage by Velum. The shot carves a flaming hole in his fuselage, and the Targetmaster's flight path wobbles and zigzags as he spins out of control. But he's not one to let -that- rain on his parade! And so, high-energy photons fly randomly in all directions as he spins out. <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "This wall will fall!" <'Decepticon'> Dustoff string of incoherent curses and a few 'Triggerhappy's thrown in. For once, Blitzwing's complete disregard for authority of any kind pays off!, as instead of listening to Captain Charmin drone on, the thorough electronic reconnaissance sweep that Blitzwing had enacted yields a wealth of information - not only concerning the Retoris bulwark at hand, but also the personnel charged with defending it. This intel proves advantageous to Blitzwing, in that while perhaps Springer, in his hubris, thought that he had the sneaky drop on him, the Decepticon triplechanger has instead had advance knowledge of his counterpart's position, trajectory, velocity, and current armament. Utilizing this stream of data to maximum effectiveness, the MiG's control surfaces swing out like daggers and pivot just as sharply, vaulting the Russian jet into a wide barrel roll that swoops a cyclone around the projectiles sent his way courtesy of the offending, putrid-green Wrecker. "How about E: I remind you that you're not playing in pop-warner anymore!" Brace for impact! *FWOOM!* Wingspan has arrived. Exosuit smirks when she sends Triggerhappy into a tailspin, but this quickly fades when he acts like his usual self and rains hell upon the area. Quickly she takes cover behind a turret to avoid damage, waiting for him to pass by before popping back out and surveying the damage. Not good, and now they're all after Fort Max. "Damnit.." Jawline clenches and she quickly steps up to the edge of the Wall, shifting open armor slots to reveal projetile pods. <> With a fist slamming down on the button the pods launch several bundles that rocket up into the air. At the peak of their arc they all break, seperating into a widespready volley of metal darts that rain down upon the area and try to shock whatever they stick into. <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Ugh...Talk to me, uglies. How are we holding up?" <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "We are being an unstoppable force." Defense Base remains stationary, observing the situation via the various sensors and RADAR that his current mode offers. The Retoris workers does their best to hold back their anxiety as they hasten their work with finishing loading up Fortress Maximus' cargo hold compartment. There's a couple of explosions that blossoms out from the attacks delivered by Blast Off and Dustoff. Some of the defense base's armour plating buckles from Blast Off's high intensity beams, while a few windows shatters from the force of Dustoff's shots. Meanwhile, Galen is running through the streets of Retoris and making his way over to the industrial zone of the city where his partner is currently situated, "Blast it, the Decepticons are insane to have tried to penetrate this deep into our territory just to strike at Retoris!" Unfortunately for the Nebulan, he's literally running into against a wave of people fleeing from the direction of the industrial zone, "Please, evacuate in an orderly manner or people will get hurt!" Galen pleads with the evacuees but unfortunately, and understandably so, the citizens in the area aren't particularly receptive to his suggestions. Tsk tsk, looks like Galen won't be getting back to Fortress Maximus just yet. Finally back to Fortress Maximus. The defensive batteries across the defense base whirls to life and begins showering the skies with all kinds of weapons fire, from machine guns, lasers, to even mortar shells! Sadly it doesn't seem to the defensive systems is suffering from ye olde Stormtrooper aim effect where nothing ever seems to meet its target. The reason for this is because Fortress Maximus is preoccupied with continuously updating the Autobots with real-time combat data. In this case, he tightbeams information to Broadside regarding Avalanche, << Hostile is attempting to scale up the wall at the following location, Broadside. Updating information to you now. >> <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "I am NOT ugly." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "But are you broken?" <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "....Not quite yet. I've felt better, though." Broadside ...does not expect to get a Decepticon GUMBY thrown at him. The hapless mech smashes into the turret and makes it spark, giving Broadside a heavy shock. "Nnngh! That's fightin' DIRTY PUNK!" He picks up the poor gumby by the head and hurls him off the edge of the wall before jumping back on the still-sparking cannons. <> he transmits just after ducking a wild shot from Triggerhappy. "Psycho." Big ole' slugs of neutron energy launch from the cannons as rapid fire, tearing into the metal ground before The Wall and trailing into the troops. "GO BACK TO YER CESSPITS- holy Primus!" he exclaims belatedly upon seeing Avalanche perch himself atop the wall. Cannon still firing, he whips it around to try and blast the TIGAH. <> <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "WHY DO THEY SHOOT THE MEDIC! GAH!" Springer banks hard to the right, dipping all the way over onto his side and continues to fly sideways as random photons blast right past him and off into the distance. "You gotta' get a better cornerback, Blitzy! This mech's all over the place!" With that advice tossed out there, Springer goes into a full out upside down flight pattern and out of the way of the incoming aerial rival. "You too!" Springer actually sounds somehow surprised. Not that Blitzwing missed, because, come on, Springer's Springer. But more that Blitzwing even tried something foolish like that. With another showoff spin to his credit, Springer soars underneath and back up towards Blitzwing, pouring on the speed and aiming to zip right past him... while firing off a twin pair of harpoons, aimed to chunk their way into the Foxbat. "Welcome to Flight School, Blitzy Boy! Lesson Number One?" Time for some crazy stunt flying. "You Suck!" <'Decepticon'> Harrow says, "MIND THE MEDIC! FOOLS!" <'Decepticon'> Wingspan says, "I'd say they're shooting everybody." Dustoff gets blasted. Not once, but twice, and both volleys send him sprawling back as his optics momentarily go all crazy due to the sheer...horror of it all. "You have GOT to be kidding me..." He rolls himself over and back behind cover as he checks himself. <> He sighs and picks some grit from the bearings in his knee-joints. <> And with that, the plucky little medic fastens a plate over a nice little hole in his leg, welds it into place, and shoots the Autobot line a rather crude gesture. Hmph. Avalanche just laughs maniacly, as he lands in a crouching position *read Crouching Tigah* on the wall. His head slowly shift upwards, and his metallic lips move up into a grin. "Anything, to serve his lord's wishes." He tells Broadside. "We will take this placement, and you. You! WILL DIE!" He bellows and begins to full on sprint towards Broadside. The pole of his energon hammer is lifted and brought to bear as he charges towards the large Autobot. Of course, as fast as Avalanche is *He's slow dawg* He cannot reach the Autobot, before he is scanned and reported on. Broadside's quick manuevering of the turret pays off, as the 'Con is point blank inside the placement's firing cone. "AAAHHH!!" Roars the mighty Decepticon, as the plasma rips into his being. Large chunks of armor flying to the wayside, as he is lit up by a blinding fusillade of fire. Even all this, isn't enough to deter the large mech. He continues to press forward. "YOUR PITIFUL WEAPONS ARE NOTHING!" He calls out in a battle fury. "FOR GALVATRON!" Swinging the hammer back, he bull rushes forward and brings the weapon to a full arc. Hopefully it's enough to get Broadside out of the cannon. <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche ROARS! Space Shuttle strikes his (rather large and slow) target, but while his systems are still on the fritz, Triggerhappy pulls one of those wild shooting sprees that Blast Off hates so much... and the first shot hits him. Oddly enough.... it almost seems to HELP him. His thinking (and systems) seems clearer now, and he revs his engines to rocket around again. He refrains from actually THANKING Triggerhappy, however. That would simply be too much. But for now- he doesn't yell at the other Con, like he usually does. He doesn't have much time for that anyway, however- as pods launch through the air and strike him just as he is starting to rocket off again. "Ah!" Jolts of electricity spasm through the wing they attached on, and the shuttle rolls and dives trying to shake the accursed thing off. That's when BORASIDE hits him, too. What is this? This is a repeat of Kaon, that's what! He's a space shuttle, not a clay bird for target practice!!! "Gah!" The shuttle wobbles a bit middair, trying to stabilize, then shifts elevons and soars high above everyone. <> In the meantime, the brown and purple shuttle keeps climbing until he has a nice view of the whole city. Blue light eminates from below his nosecone, and he lets loose an area attack on Fort Max and anyone nearby! Triggerhappy isn't paying any kind of attention to what is going on around him. Nope, just spinning out of control while firing and firing and firing! Didn't you know, it's great fun! Not many mechs have actually tried enjoying it! Unfortunately, this means he isn't paying attention to where he's going either, and Velum's EMP darts catch him in the wings. Then Broadside's assault nails him in the afterburners and down he goes! And since Dustoff was whining about medics being hit... <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "WHY SWEET GALVATRON WHY?!" <'Decepticon'> Triggerhappy says, "Owwww.." <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "YOU IDIOT, TRIGGERHAPPY!" <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "Do not worry, comrade. Ill shall keep their optics on me." It's been some time since Blitzwing last had the opportunity to bash Springer's face in, and thus he underestimates the speed and resourcefulness of the Wrecker. As a result, the MiG's undercarriage is marred by the addition of two offending barbs that dig deep into thick metal panels. Being that the hooks are attached via coiled steel cables to the Cybertronian helicopter, Blitzwing's direction of motion is at the mercy of Springer, and the Autobot takes full advantage. "GAH!" Blitzwing growls, fighting against the velocity of the Autobot triplechanger in the opposite direction, only causing the wounds cut into him by the harpoons to rend wider all the more. Blitzwing ignores the pain, shifting reserve fuel sources to overload his engines, fighting against the weight and pull of his counterpart. "And you need a better offense, creampuff!" Blitzwing's nose points straight up, and he throttles everything he's got to rip the Wrecker into the stratosphere. <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Triggerhappy? You are dead. If I get you in my medbay, I'm amputating your wings." <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "Indeed." Broadside smirks as the plasma tears into Avalanche, but before he can scoff about it the Russian wrecking machine vaults towards him with a giant hammer and SLAMS him hard. It does indeed knock him out of the turret and nearly unconscious. Nearly. "GNN'GRGH!" Left senseless, he lingers sprawled on his front, unable to think straight for a solid ten seconds. "Ffffrahhh..." Springer's voice over the frequency hardly reaches him. Punchdrunk, he forces himself upright, summons his giant double-sided axe from subspace, and lumbers forth to put some serious might behind a massive swing toward's Avalanche's middle. "I ain't down yet kitty cat!" he slurrs. <'Decepticon'> Harrow says, "I would like his wings." Defense Base is showered with high intensity beams of ionic energy directed downwards by Blast Off! A radio antenna is cut down by the beam of light and it collapses down to the ground below! The workers have finally done the job of loading up Fortress Maximus, but sadly without Galen he is still unable to revert back into his robotic mode. Cog can be seen running around the defense base with nano-regenerator beam gun in tow, shooting blue beams containing nanobots capable of repairing the lesser damages that the building structure had sustained up until now. Meanwhile, Galen has finally made his way through the crowd of evacuees and onto the loading dock's premises at last. The Nebulan wisely opts to dodge in and out of cover, taking refuge within buildings as he makes his way over to the defense base sitting ahead of him. That should slow them down a little. Plates seal back up and Velum has her rifle at the ready again, taking aim on a certain medic cowering behind some cover. "Hold still you little-- Eh?" A roar of pain spares Dustoff and draws Velum's attention, the Neb looking up to spot Broadside taking the brunt of a giant hammer. <> She's not about to let her buddy get wailed on, taking off running. Blast Off seems to think ahead of course and aims a shot at her, ripping into her exo's side and opening a hole that sprays hydraulic fluid and sparks nastily. "Damnit!" She curses, suit stumbling and nearly falling over. But she slams the controls hard and forces it on, barking over the radio when approaching a cannon. <> Velum tightbeams to the mech manning the turret who turns it towards Avalanche, the Neb making a leap onto the barrel that she sprints up like a ramp before springing off the end and soaring through the air. In an instant the large cannon on her back shifts up to the shoulder, taking aim midair. "Get off my wall, you walking brick shithouse!" Velum roars and pulls the trigger, firing off a huge lance of crackling energy right for the Russian. Springer may have already had this planned or something because once his sensors pick up on the fact that Blitzwing is headed his direction, while still attached to those cables, he does the only thing he can do at this point and stops. And hovers. And just in the nick of time, he disengages those cables and shuts off his engines. Gravity pulls him out of harm's way and as Blitzwing speeds through where he just was, Springer can't help but to toss out even more banter. Avalanche levels his sight on Broadside, "You will die." He wods out over the roar of battle. He spits some energon from his mouth, keeping his optics locked on Broad. "It's inevitable. This wall will fall, and we WILL take this place." He moves into a full stand, slamming the bottom of his warhammer to the ground. Holding it in one hand, he motions the large mech to attack him. "Come on, surely you're good enough to handle one 'Con?" Thats when his open side is struck with the axe, the blade deeply inbedding itself inside the titanic mech. Circuitry beneath the armor sparks, and a winch is seen from the Decepticon. Not only that, he is then pelted by a nasty ass cannon to the side of his face. It burns a bright red, leaving it nastily marred. "Is..." He breathes out, and smiles. "That all?" Avalanche just laughs and raises his hammer into the air, allowing Broadside to keep his axe inside of his gut. "DECEPTICONS!" He roars. "These Autobots are weak, do not falter. DESTROY THEM ALL!" Hopefully his words are enough to keep the Decepticon forces going strong. His optics then shift between Velum and Broadside. That smile turning to a grin. What's worse than a strong enemy on the battefield? An enemy that can INSPIRE his comrades. Dustoff was hiding behind a rock. Now he's sandwiched between a rock and a Triggerhappy. How wonderfully painful... Needless to say, what's shouted is censored by thoughtful editors to keep the episode kid-friendly. The medic's not quite through, though, once he's yelled his bit. He grabs the clumsy jet and pulls his rifle around, aiming it at Triggerhappy and pulling the trigger. "Get back to fighting them. THEM! Not me, THEM!" He dusts himself off after, cringing as the panel he'd just welded on falls off and clatters to the ground. "Well, that's just fantastic..." He gives the fallen plate a good, solid kick towards Triggerhappy while he's at it. Not that it'll do anything other than goad the target-master...and promptly doubles over as something internal does something it's probably not supposed to do. "Nng... ow." He drops back behind his rock-cover with a 'thud'. <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "FIGHT ON COMRADES!" Triggerhappy is in a daze when Dustoff shoots him, and doesn't make much of a response to all that yelling and cursing. But the shot seems to knock him out of it, sending him careening into the wall. He's looking pretty bad already, and the fight has only just gotten started. Which is typical for the Targetmaster anyway. "Wha....huh? Oh...now where was I? Oh yeah. That Nebulan girl. Ha." Pushing himself off of the ground and scrambling to his feet, he -finally- levels Blowpipe at his intended target. Triggerhappy reverts to his root form. <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "How's everyone doing?" <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "THIS IS THE LAST MISSION I TAKE YOU ON, Triggerhappy." <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "Im beginning to feel the rigours of battle, but Ill keep going." <'Decepticon'> Triggerhappy says, "Swell!" <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "I AM NOT WELL. I NEED a MEDIC." <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "FOR GALVATRON" <'Decepticon'> Triggerhappy says, "That's the spirit, Avalanche!" <'Decepticon'> Triggerhappy says, "Now that's a mech with a POSITIVE ATTITUDE!" <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Come around here, BO. Ugh...I'll see what I can do." <'Decepticon'> Triggerhappy says, "Which is something SOME OF US could really use, right now." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Oh, take a number, Trigs." <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "Nothing can stop us, comrades. The wall will -FALL-." MiG-25PD Foxbat-E screams like a heat-seeking missile up into another layer of atmosphere - just as he had planned - though the lack of the tell-tale drag of dead weight behind him is enough for the Decepticon triplechanger to realize that his charge is not with him on this field trip to the troposphere. The MiG's main control surfaces whistle as they are deployed to full wingspan, and the jet fighter lazily banks back around toward his opponent, dipping nosecone to reenter low-level Cybertronian airspace. In the process, Blitzwing takes a hot laser blast to his port tailfin, and the stabilizer there melts and dissipates into globulous fragments under the intense heat of the photon charge. In response, the MiG's undercarriage separates at the centerline and two polished panels slide apart to reveal a terrifying gatling gun that springs to life. Though Blitzwing's targeting reticle jumps in a lop-sided manner due to the loss of one of his tail fins, the Decepticon triplechanger presses his luck regardless and delivers a blanket of supersonic slugs toward the emerald Autobot. <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "*zzk* Thanks to...*zk* Triggerhappy, I am a bit...indisposed. However, those who are not...*zzakkkk* ...BREAK DOWN THAT WALL. *ghhhk*" Cog finishes applying repairs upon the defense base just in time for the nano-repair gun to run out of energy. The drone discards the medical device onto the ground and quickly returns into its compartment deep within the defense base. Meanwhile... Galen finally makes his way over to Fortress Maximus. The ex-World Watch leader wastes no time to key in the password and gaining entry into Fortress Maximus. Soon he appears on the bridge, all *master suited up and his 'stylish' bowl cut hair covered by a terrible looking helmet, "Sorry I was late to get back, Retoris' in complete chaos right now. Let's get the show on the road, Maximus!" Soon Fortress Maximus reverts back into his robotic mode and begins moving forward towards the besieged city walls as well, << Do not falter, Autobots. We do not have the luxury of doing so, not when countless citizens of Retoris are depending on us to secure their safety. I too, am now ready to lend my aid! Stand strong, we'll send these Decepticons rolling out Retoris yet! >> Fortress Maximus' current form begins to reconfigure itself, shrinking in size, and he eventually emerges in his robotic form. <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Eh. Send me your broken, your fragile, your shattered carapaces yearning to wreak havoc... Keep me covered and I'll get you back in the fight." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "... slag. We've got a big boy on deck." So much for Triggerhappy's attack. Velum hardly even notices he was aiming at her, seeing as he goes and shoots a teammate instead. No, she's too busy staring down Avalanche and for once she's unsure. This mech was either crazy tough or just plain crazy. She bets both. But this doesn't mean she's going to back down, hell no. "Step off, you overgrown house cat. I said get the hell off my wall and I intend to make you!" If Broadside's got a plan then he better get going because Velum tries her hardest to get the Con's full attention. Cannon shifts back and rifle comes up again, Velum sidestepping quick to move around the mech, attempting to hold his aggro by firing off some burst shots at him. Broadside is rather surprised to find Avalanche pretty unfazed by a giant superheated axe embedded in his side. He eventually yanks his weapon free, just as Velum delivers an impressive shot. Making sure to track where she lands, he backs up and glowers as Avalanche rallies his brethren. Likewise, Fort Max spurrs the troops over the frequencies. He's got such a way with words! Confidence fills him - perhaps a bit too much of it, and he decides that he wants to CRUSH THINGS! Twisting into his jet mode, he blasts skywards, pauses at just the right height, and transforms. It's really not a rapid transformation, but it's quick enough to finish before the length of the ship's hull slams down onto the top of the wall, obliterating the turrets that perch there and hopefully any 'con in the way. The sound is deafening! Springer is flying too high and too pretty to even realize that Blitzwing is mounting an offense back at him. A little too cocky right now for his own good and he gets blasted something fierce by Blitzwing. Those supersonic slugs sear trough Springer's side and it throws him right off course... sending him in a spiral motion until he can get himself back under control. It takes a moment or two for him to right himself. "Mother Fragger." comes from Springer as he lines himself up to make another pass at Blitzwing. He actually turns on the speed and soars with incredible blurr (shout out!) style action. In the middle of this, Fortress Maximus gets his INSPIRATIONAL WORDS on and somewhere inside that chopper, Springer breaks into a Wrecker Smile. "Hey Blitzy!" And the speeding continues, as he's headed straight for him. And transforms? As he fades into his robot form with both style and speed, Springer ignites the Energy Saber that he holds so near and dear to his Con Crushing spark. The velocity from his previous flight helps to carry him as he somersaults in the air and stretches out to slice through one of those wings! "You're Grounded!" This Transformation Has All The Right Moves. Dusty sighs, turning to Blast Off and setting to work. "I swear... I joined the wrong military. Should've joined up with... OH SWEET UNICRON IS THAT A SHIP!?" Dustoff drops down to cover Blast Off as Broadside slams onto the ground. "Y'all are going to seriously owe me something nice and cold after this!" He glances up once the dust has settled to resume work. Avalanche just laughs maniacly, as Broadside pulls the axe from his side. "Come on Autobot, FINISH ME!" He demands, "Or your friends and allies WILL DIE!" He just walks forward, taunting the larger mech. Then Velum pelts him to the chest. The blast rips part of his tiger face plate apart. He swings uneasily, as the damage of battle is starting to get to him. "COME ON!" He bellows out at the two. "Do it before the wall falls!" He grins, and then watches as Broadside gets serious. Within moments, Avalanche watches as the mech transforms into a Carrier. "For the Decet....AAAH" Silence is all the follows, as the ship crashes down with a thunderous BOOM. The wall collaspses underneath it's weight, and Avalanche is swept up in the debris. For a moment, it seems all is done. Avalanche is buried underneath a huge mound of rubble. It'll take the 'Cons DAYS before they can... Then, there's movement. A large block of metal is pushed aside, as Avalanche claws his way out. "Decepticons...the wall, is breached..." He breathes out, and continues to pull himself free. The large mech is too razzled to really do much more. <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "The wall, is breached. I...I used Broadside to do it." <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "I could..could use some hel...p now comrades." <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "*zzk* You did... well, Avalanche." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Workin' on it. Trying to get some of us back into the fight." <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "For...Galvatron! zzzz*" <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Yeah, yeah. For Galvatron... get over here and I can let you fight even more for Galvatron, Avvy." Triggerhappy somehow shoots Blast Off instead of Velum. Frag that cursed Nebulan! And then Dustoff grabs him and tries to pull him away. "Hey! What's your problem?!" he demands, attempting to shove him away. "I had a lock on that filthy organic!" Yeah, right. Ignoring Dustoff's assistance in addition to his request for cover, he again attempts to shoot Velum. <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Good job, Triggerhappy! Way to handle the real threat." <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "Comrade, Trigger. Weapon is to fire...other way." MiG-25PD Foxbat-E 's underslung chaingun empties a million rounds chasing after the zippy helo, and the Decepticon triplechanger cackles happily as the satisfying sound of armor-piercing bolts digging into cocky Auto-hide ring out against the Retoris wall. The gatling gun's safety interlocks eventually kick in and the weapon slams to a halt, barrel tip sizzling and glowing red hot. Fortunately for BLitzwing, this lapse in projected firepower goes uncapitalized as it seems that the Wrecker is more than intent on taking the fight to melee range - and Blitzwing is more than happy to oblige. The MiG's vulcan battery swivels back up around and disappears within the jet's nose just as the Autobot shifts forms, and almost as if one cue, Blitzwing follows suit - meeting the Wrecker blade for blade! Blitzwing digs his electron sabre into Springer's energy sabre, and the warring edges erupt in a shower of sparks that battle against one another for intesity bragging rights. Even these robot's special effects are fighting each other! "Not today, Wrecker!" Blitzwing growls, fighting against Springer with his own willpower, pistons straining and vents hissing as the two deadlock one another in mid-air. Blitzwing's voice drops low, as though he means to have a real personal, happy conversation with his opposite number. With a wide grin, Blitzwing chuckles darkly. "When I get done with you, your face is going to be welded to your aft plate. I wouldn't be surprised if no one noticed the change, though. Ha ha." Blitzwing lifts a thruster-boot and kicks at the Wrecker's chest, igniting his afterburners in mid-strike. Triggerhappy is shooting everybody but the people he's supposed to shoot Space Shuttle is dragged(?) by Dustoff... somehow, into a slightly more protected spot. The shuttle is in bad shape, but he is still able to transform, so he does so. In his much smaller root mode, the medic can have an easier time with that dragging part- and coincidentally, he is a little better armored as well. He sits as Dustoff works on him, flinching slightly as Broadside makes a spectacular entrance nearby. He sighs, "Yes, just get me repaired and let us successfully complete our mission... then I will be happy to buy you a drink! I'm going to need it myself- especially if I have to deal with HIM any longer..." He glares over at Triggerhappy sourly, then looks quite a bit happier as the Targetmaster proceeds to shoot HIMSELF. "MUCH better, Triggerhappy." Then he sighs and winces as Dustoff pulls and pinches something. He feels like a sitting duck right now... kind of because he IS. This mission is NOT going well. "He's still alive!" She sputters in disbelief, though this quickly reverts to a scowl of anger. Not for long he's not. <> With a leap she scrambles up the wreckage and climbs up onto his deck where exo is parked. With a hiss the cockpit opens and crossbelts are undone, Velum hitting the ground running and bolting inside the giant ship to make her way towards the control center. Once there she drops into a seat and takes to the console. "Hope you don't mind me taking the reins a second, bud." The Nebulan muses and pulls up the targeting sensors, lining up Broadside's turrets on a few pesky Decepticons... With a hiss of pressure the cockpit to the exo opens up, Velum climbing out of her battlesuit <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Nnngh...that felt fanscrappin'tastic... BO, almost done with you. AV, get your aft over here. You're next. Blitz! How are you holding up?" <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "I...Im being held back by suppressive fire. I...I will t..try." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Ugh...let me finish and I'll come to you. Can you hold out for a bit longer?" Fortress Maximus barely manages to get away from the path of Broadside's fall in time to avoid getting flattened and needing to call himself Fortress Minimus from here on out. The Headmaster commander dental clenches in frustration as he watches sections of Retoris' walls crumble. The city is now truly exposed to the hellish civil war that the wall had shielded it from up until now. This cannot continue any further! Fortress Maximus roars angrily into his open commlink, << Decepticons! Retoris is not a symbol meant for you to tear down, its citizens will be protected! I will give you all one chance to leave this place now, or so Matrix help me I will bring upon you the war you all seem to desperately seek! >> Weapons from all over Fortress Maximus' body begins to slide out into the ready. Machine gun batteries begins to track flying targets. Laser dots paints the cover that Decepticons are hiding behind. Ion pulse cannons swirvels left and right, ready to finish whatever job the previous mentioned weapons failed to complete. It seems like Fortress Maximus is trying to put some weight behind his words, but is he really going to through with it or will he bulk under his reluctance to fight? <'Decepticon'> Triggerhappy says, "*****kkkzzzztt*******" <'Decepticon'> Blitzwing says, "Pfft, I'm fine. Going to crack this wall open using Springer's skull." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Good. I like that. Alright. BO, I'm about done, then I'm gonna make a break for AV. Just keep me covered and he'll be back to breaking Autobots in no time. Uh... Triggerhappy? Not much I can do for you." <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "Understood...comrade. I will hold them off for *sputters out energon* as long as I can!" <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "Understood, Dustoff." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Don't 'Understood' nothin' at me. I'm just the medic, /Sir/." USS Nimitz Carrier slowly regains his bearings with a groan, partially fallen through a broken wall. <> Oblivious to his tiger foe, he trains his open phalanx turrets on the nearest 'con signature as Velum lays waste to Triggerhappy and that poor, poor medic. "There's charges in the tower if you need some Velum..." Spinger's optics go a little bit wide at the fact that he has met Blitzwing blade to blade. He wasn't expecting that and the surprise on his features should be evident. But as they continue to stay locked in mid-air, Springer pushes back against the Blitzwing Blade to see if he can't gain some non-ground... but then Blitzwing speaks and Springer falters for just a hair of a moment, ready to protect his face. He realizes it is a verbal feint way too late, before he's kicked and sent sprawling towards the ground with nothing to stop his fall but... the ground. Which he smashes into with a resounding crunch and clang combination. Springer's back up to his feet a moment later, his chest sizzling and smoking from the afterburner kick that has also put a dent in that signature chestplate of his. Springer turns to look to the side. "Not a word." is spat out towards Dustoff as he dusts off and gives his energy blade twirl right back into subspace. He takes two steps and BOUNDS upwards, using those powerful legs of his to launch himself back into the air and off in the direction of Blitzwing, once more. "Two Minute Warning, Afthole." is muttered through gritted non-existent teeth, as he gets closer and shifts his weight in mid-air, drops one leg down and extends the other one, before cyclonically spinning in an utterly Capcomish manner. I'm not sure who you want to page with: blast Straining his gears, Avalanche pulls a sickle from his side. It's much to small to be a melee weapon. Rolling to his back, Avalanche reels his arms into a throwing position. "Must...stop the turret." Trying to aim towards Velum, Al tosses the sickle towards the command center with all he's got left. <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Hah. Right. Got it." Dustoff hears the Phalanx guns winding up and does what any respectable medic would do, shields his patient. And...yeah, that ends up in a bit more hurt on his part, too, notably when there's the ever-familiar sound of metal tearing into metal. Dusty sighs and just keeps trucking, though, welding the plate on Blast Off and shoving the shuttle out. "Back to it, SIR! Best of luck." And with that, he's mobile, taking off for Avalanche's position in a dead sprint... or...well, as best as he can considering he's got a few nice dents, holes, and that horrible damage from earlier in his knee-joint... ugh. <> <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "How's everyone doing on energon reserves, anyway?" <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche gurgles on energon. <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Got it." Today is really not Triggerhappy's day. This time, he didn't shoot himself. Honestly, he really didn't! In fact, as it turns out, Blowpipe had been just as irked at him as the other Decepticons had, and had decided at that very moment to give him a taste of his own medicine. And so, just as he attempts to shoot Velum, Blowpipe jerks out of his hand and turns around. And shoots him in the face. The Targetmaster stumbles backward, energon spurting from multiple breaches in his body. Yep, he looks like a complete -wreck-. And yet he STILL doesn't give up. He tosses Blowpipe away angrily. He'll have to yell at him later, when he isn't dying any more. "Gah! Fine! I don't n-need y-y-you!" And he transforms, flying straight for Velum yet AGAIN but since she's inside of Broadside he'll have to fly into the big Wrecker first. Triggerhappy transforms into a blue and white Cybertronian aircraft. No, now he's totally out. <'Decepticon'> Blowpipe says, "Argh! I apologize...that was supposed to take him out of the fight!" Blitzwing laughs through his lunge after the Wrecker, and even though it crosses his processor to compound the Autobot's dilemma by pouncing on the grounded triplechanger, Blitzwing deigns instead to survey his adversary from above, looking down upon him with a wicked grin - knowing the change in scenery is bound to enrage the Wrecker. The Decepticon triplechanger extends a hand and beckons Springer back into the fray, laughing even as his opponent accepts his invitation and springs after him. The suddenly spiralling Springer is a sight wild enough to throw Blitzwing offguard, and by the time that he decides on a direction to take to avoid the blow - he is too late. The heavy boot clocks across his helmet, sending the Decepticon careening higher into the air. Despite the powerful strike, Blitzwing's trajectory terminates in much more graceful fashion than the Wrecker's as he rights himself quickly and tapers off to a hover under the magic that is Decepticon flight. Blitzwing laughs, adjusting his now-dented helmet. "Mmmm, must be overtime. My favorite part of the game." Blitzwing cackles, unshouldering his assault rifle and levelling it down at Springer, bracing for the recoil as he tucks the weapon stock against his side. "Sudden Death." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Eh... we'll pull him out. No sense leaving him to the scavengers. We need the parts more. Might even get him up and running, too." <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche says, "NO ONE SHALL CLAIM A DECEPTICON'S PARTS! *gurgle coughs*" <'Decepticon'> Blitzwing says, "Now about that energon, Dustoff..." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Let me get the big guy up and running and I'll get right on it, Blitz." Blast Off is shoved out of the way by Dustoff. It's still a little strange to hear someone calling him "sir", but...well, he deserves it, right? He collects himself, straightening up and brushing himself off. "Thank you. Success to you, as well." The Combaticon is still pretty beat up, and there is considerable wear and tear -everywhere. Smoke still rises up from a shoulder servo and his gait is a little unsteady. But he dashes forward, doing his best to cover Avalanche. Then, when that is out of the way, the shuttleformer keeps running, then flies up with a boost of rocket feet and towards the nearest target- who happens to be Fort Max. Speeding in as fast as he's able to at the moment, he starts firing his ionic blaster at the big 'Bot while attempting to get past him and into the city! "THIS is for KAON!" He yells at the 'Bot. (And for the Kaon Opera House, he thinks to himself...) In a grinding series of shuddering snaps and rumbling clanks, Broadside transforms into a behemoth of a mech, towering over the average bot! Well damn, hello sudden giant scythe piercing through the control room wall. Velum jerks back in her seat and raises robotic arm to defend, earning her the tip stabbing through it. She's glad she can't feel it, but she'll be damned if she doesn't still hiss in annoyance, pulling limb close and quickly evacuating Broadside with extra batteries in tow. With practiced expertise she switches them out and hops back into the pilot's chair, firing suit back up and leaping off Broadside before Triggerhappy pretty much headbutts him and collapses. "Tch, dumbass." She snorts at the Targetmaster, very tempted to find his partner and stomp him. But no time, not with Avalanche still in the game. "You're a hell of a Con, I'll give you that." She muses at him when swinging exo around and shifting cannon into place, the barrel steadily glowing brighter with energy while suit squares its stance. "But lucky for you I don't go down easy either." A vicious grin curls her lips and she pulls the trigger, firing off another round of high powered energy point blank at Avalanche. Climbing up into her large exo suit, Velum straps in, fires it up, and is ready to fight <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Ah...scrap. They got to him first..." <'Decepticon'> Blitzwing says, "Can you revive him?" <'Decepticon'> Russian wrecking machine Avalanche goes offline. <'Decepticon'> Harrow says, "WAY TO GO." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Not without the repair bay's equipment. Two down on our end." <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "How are the rest fo you holding up?" <'Decepticon'> Blitzwing says, "Is that a rhetorical question? I'm only fighting Springer." <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "...*only* he says...." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Eh... I'm here until I drop, or we pull back. Got some recovery work we need to do." Fortress Maximus waits for a moment to see if the Decepticons had complied with his ultimatum. Let's see. Triggerhappy knocked himself out in the process of fighting Broadside. Blitzwing is still pewpewing at Broadside. Dustoff was busy fixing up Blast Off, geez, what a nice fella isn't he? Blsat Off... wait, where did Blast Off go?! "Max! Blast Off over to the right!" Galen warns through their link and takes control of the main body, dodging out of the path of Blast Off's ionic beams! Well, it looks like Fortress Maximus' bluff failed. Darn bloody smart Decepticons. They must've figured out that the big guy would probably go bonkers if he tried to lob all the firepower he's packing here within the city itself. However Blast Off is now close enough for the big guy to do something about him. Fortress Maximus straights up his right arm, the machine gun barrel on his wrist begins to spin up and soon begins spraying hot lead towards the Combaticon Space Warrior's rear end! "Back away from here while you still can, Blast Off. Don't test me any further!" <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Stabilizing Avalanche. Blitz, did you need a refuel?" <'Decepticon'> Blitzwing says, "I'm not critical, but you'd earn yourself a six pack." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Get in range and I'll get you up and running proper." Smacked right dead in the center of his chest, which is already weakened from the previous thrust kick, Springer finds himself falling back to the ground again. He can't stay in the air for long enough to actually do anything more than one simple attack and then he's back on the ground. He almost lands on his feet this time, though, he stumbles. Which immediately lets him know that his systems are starting to malfunction a little bit. THRAKOOM! The cannon shot goes right through Avalanche's cracked helmet, and he jerks violently. His smokable drops to the ground, and Avalanche goes completely offline. *Rare Drops for Velum* Blitzwing's rifle thunders satisfactorily, launching a twisting dart into the Wrecker's chest. The impact cracks across the battlefield, and Blitzwing chimes in with a roiling boom of laughter in congratulatory adulation unto himself. Blitzwing breaks his gyro-rifle in half with one fluid, practiced motion, sending an expended casing tumbling hundreds of feet to the ground. The shell plinks off of Avalanche's head. Blitzwing hovers lower to approach after the Wrecker, who - oddly - retreats? Blitzwing growls, drawing a bead on the emerald Autobot though that leap takes Springer past a series of wall turrets that obscure his line of sight. The Decepticon triplechanger whips his sabre around once and deactivates it, sheathing the weapon so that he may make a few obscene gestures after Springer. "Enjoy the loser's bracket, punk." Blitzwing alights on the ground, stomping off after Dustoff for a recharge. He holds fast as a means of cover for the Decepticon medic, swapping out ammunition belts to spray suppressive fire along the wall. <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "I... may have to bow out. How are the two of you doing?" <'Decepticon'> Blitzwing says, "Well MY mech-hood is intact. More than I can say for Springer. Or the rest of you." <'Decepticon'> Blowpipe coughs, "Blast Off, might I suggest a tactical retreat? Our forces are in shambles." <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "Yes, a retreat. I'm glad I thought of that." Dustoff curses as Avalanche takes a blow that drops him and looks far from pleased. He continues his run, though, since...well, he's got to stabilize the big guy, doesn't he? Partway there, Springer so graciously introduces him to a blitz of an attack, sending the medic sprawling. "Nnng..." He's slow to get up, but get up he does. Limping as that knee-joint is almost nonfunctioning, and trailing energon, he continues his trek until he's able to drop down by Avalanche to begin stabilizing the damage done. "Just hold on there... gonna take a bit of special care to get this under control." Dusty drops his pack and rummages around for a few tools, reaching in to start clamping off the more vital lines that have sprung a leak. <> He waves off a few preventative alarms going off in his optical HUD. Something about them 'blocking his view' being muttered as he's elbow deep in fixing a fellow Con. As Blitzwing drops down nearby, the Medic almost reflexively reaches for the tank strapped to his back, extracting what looks like a giant syringe full of energon. He slams it home, injects the triple-changer, and chucks the empty recharge tube off to the side before resuming his work. "Get Trigs, we need to get this guy out of here and fast." <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "I'm...not good, but still here." Blast Off 's glitching systems are making it hard to... well, do a LOT of things... including hit GIANT targets, apparently. Fort Max dodges out of the way, though at least the Combaticon is able to dodge a blast from the giant 'bot. However, he fails to see another shot coming for him, and Springer's shot hits him- hard. He actually goes spinning, finally landing on his feet on a crumbling section of wall and staggering back a few paces. However, he's quite unsteady now, and sways back and forth, trying to stabilize (the story of his night). Slag- that attack ripped his legs and aide cannons up even more. He looks over and watches Avalanche fall. Triggerhappy is down, as well. This is not good. In fact, Blitzwing seems to be the only one still really up and running. Well, the mission was to come in, hit hard, then leave. Still- he never made it IN the city.... But leaving fallen Decepticons for the Autobots to take prisoner would be worse. Especially if HE was one of them. So.... < am calling a retreat. We have done what we set to do- we have hit hard, smashed their precious wall- and now we leave before more forces arrive. So... this is basically a success!>> With that, he transforms into shuttle mode, sweeping down to land by Avalanche. <> He sniffs to Dustoff and Blitzwing, <> "Let's see how long the rest of you last with your little support mech out of the picture.." The woman muses and couples targeting sensors with her ironsights, switching her gun's power to high, single shots and lining up Dustoff's helmet in her crosshairs. "Just hold still.." She waits, finger gentle on the trigger until.. there! With a squeeze she fires off a single round, aiming to snipe the mech from afar. Fortress Maximus manages to accidentally saw a building in half with the sprays of machine gun bullet fire intended for Blast Off. Did Blast Off plan all that? If he did, wow, he's a smart one because the building that Fortress Maximus just gutted topples over--- right down on top of him! Soon the big guy is buried underneath the rubbles of the building. Darn that evil space robot sniper! Fortress Maximus, for all intent and purposes, is now out of the fight too. <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "Blitzwing, get the fallen and let us GET OUT of HERE." Broadside levels his barrel on the distant Dustoff. "Busy busy medic. Too bad you're on the wrong team," he murmurs more to himself, slowly squeezing the trigger. Blitzwing enters his line of vision, effectively obscuring the medic (Velum promptly takes him out anyway) and slinging enough shells to make Broadside take some brief cover. "Slaggit all to th' Pits n' back!" Poking back up, fires a bolt of seering plasma that lances out to reach for Blitzwing's left leg. "GET SOME!" <'Decepticon'> Blitzwing says, "Yeah, yeah. All the heavy lifting, as usual." <'Decepticon'> Blitzwing says, "Remind me again how you got promoted. *mutter*" <'Decepticon'> Dustoff says, "Avalanche is stable and ready to go. I'll get to Tri-*fzzzzzt*" <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "Fuslillade said "You're promoted...or else." I didn't really question it." <'Decepticon'> Harrow says, "..." <'Decepticon'> Harrow says, "Is everyone dead yet!?" <'Decepticon'> Blast Off says, "A lot of us, yes. If I get hit again, I may not make it. Of course, I can largely thank TRIGGERHAPPY for that." <'Decepticon'> Blitzwing says, "Your favorite triplechanger is about the only one left standing." The Wind Funnel Cannon gets put away and Springer continues to stalk towards the remaining Decepticons. His sword is drawn again and he hoists it up, allowing them all to see the igniting of it and the cool, cold blackness of the blade that hums now as he continues to stalk. His optics are narrowed and he can feel the Autobots (and Velum!) rising up to defend what's left of the wall with him. He doesn't really know if they are going to back him up or not but he's going to do something that he probably shouldn't do right now. Talk. "You're losing. Badly. And that's okay. Because I'm about to give you a chance to not end up scrap." Springer raises the blade up and his hand clenches around the handle, squeezing it a bit tighter as if he's prepping for more action. "Retreat. Right now. Or..." He smirks and turns to nod in Velum's direction. "I tell her it's Open Season." Grintimidation! Nobody wants to get Triggerhappy anyway, it's okay. Space Shuttle is getting more and more nervous- especially as Dustoff, who was supposed to help load up Avalanche- suddenly joins him on the scrap pile. "Slagging..." The Combaticon starts cursing, unusual for him... but things are really, really not looking good now. If he gets one more shot himslel, he will probably join the others there on the scrap heap. Then Springer starts advancing towards them, flashing his blade. <> Once Blitzwing does so- he hopes- he is going to get out while he still can. At least they smashed that slagging wall. Blitzwing attempts to provide cover and suppressive fire enough so that Dustoff may go about his work unmolested, but that damn Nebulan foils the best laid plans and ices the medic. Fiendish! Blitzwing grimaces as Dustoff goes limp just behind him, and a quick IFF tansponder ping quickly reiterates to Blitzwing what he'd already been thinking - time to fold. Blitzwing strafes easily enough to avoid Broadside's return fire (barns can't hit barns, apparently), and while he does so he reaches down and plucks Dustoff from the ground, tossing the unconcious medic over one shoulder. As Springer approaches, Blitzwing fights back the urge to shoot his face, and instead shoulders his rifle to kneel over Avalanche. Blitzwing spools out a length of tow cable from his tank mode's winch and secures the tiger to his own frame. Shouldering the load nonchalantly, Blitzwing drags Avalanche into Blast Off's open cargo bay while tossing Dustoff into a corner. "Let's blow this popsicle stand."